A temporal relational database includes a relational database framework that allows for all the capabilities of a standard relational database with the addition of the concept of time. Transactions, which can be modifications of attribute values or changes to the database schema, can be stored with temporal histories. Through the use of these temporal histories, the temporal database is able to seamlessly respond to queries for times that are in the past, present, or future. Furthermore, transactions can be entered into the temporal relational database that are not effective until some point in the future, thus allowing for seamless migration of the data and schema of a database. Applications that access data in a temporal database may retrieve a time appropriate schema from the temporal database. An exemplary use of a temporal database to manage roles and responsibilities within an organization is described.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of responding to queries sent to temporal relational databases, the method comprising: receiving, by a computer system, a query at a temporal relational database including at least one temporal element specifying a first instant in time for reconstituting the database and a second instant in time from which to extract data from the database, wherein data changes and schema changes in the database are associated with a temporal history indicating times at which the data changes and schema changes are factually valid; reconstituting, by the computer system, the database responsive to the at least one temporal element based on: filtering out from a plurality of transactions stored in the database data changes and schema changes in the temporal history that are factually valid at times later than the first instant in time to select transactions with a transaction time later than the first instant in time; ordering the selected transactions by sequence time, transaction time, and valid time to create linear ordered pan temporal timelines; and including data changes and schema changes in the temporal history that are simultaneously factually valid at times earlier than or concurrent with the first instant in time based on an intersection in valid time of the linear ordered pan temporal timelines at the second instant in time; extracting, by the computer system, data responsive to the query from the reconstituted temporal relational database; and sending, by the computer system, the extracted data in response to the query.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first instant in time is earlier than a time the query is received.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first instant in time is concurrent with a time the query is received.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first instant in time is later than a time the query is received.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second instant in time is earlier than a time the query is received.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second instant in time is concurrent with a time the query is received.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second instant in time is later than a time the query is received.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein including data changes and schema changes comprises selection of only transactions with a transaction time earlier than the first instant in time.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating the linear ordered pan temporal timelines for the plurality of transactions.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein ordering the selected transactions comprises ordering the selected transactions by sequence time ascending, then transaction time ascending, and then valid time ascending.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one temporal element specifies a range of time from which to extract data from the temporal relational database.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first instant in time is later in time than the second instant in time.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first instant in time is earlier in time than the second instant in time.
14. A computer program product embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium for responding to queries sent to temporal relational databases, the computer program product comprising: computer code for receiving a query at a temporal relational database including at least one temporal element specifying a period of time, wherein the data changes and schema changes in the database are associated with a temporal history indicating times at which the data changes and schema changes are factually valid; computer code for reconstituting the temporal relational database responsive to the at least one temporal element based on: filtering out from transactions stored in the database data changes and schema changes in the temporal history that are factually valid at times later than a beginning of the period of time to select a plurality of transactions with a transaction time later than the beginning of the period; ordering of the plurality of transactions stored in the temporal relational database to create linear ordered pan temporal timelines; and including data changes and schema changes in the temporal history that are simultaneously factually valid at times earlier than or concurrent with the beginning of the period of time based on an intersection in valid time of the linear ordered pan temporal timelines at an end of the period of time; computer code for extracting data responsive to the query and the period of time from the reconstituted temporal relational database; and computer code for sending the extracted data in response to the query.
15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the beginning of the period of time is earlier than, concurrent with, or later than a time of the query.
16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the end of the period of time is earlier than, concurrent with, or later than a time of the query.
17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein ordering the plurality of transactions comprises ordering the plurality of transactions by sequence time ascending, then transaction time ascending, and the valid time ascending.
18. A system for responding to queries sent to a temporal relational database, the system comprising: a hardware a processor operable to execute instructions; and a data storage medium storing the instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive a query at a temporal relational database including at least one temporal element, the at least one temporal element specifying a period of time, wherein data changes and schema changes in the database are associated with a temporal history indicating times at which the data changes and schema changes are factually valid; reconstitute the temporal relational database responsive to the at least one temporal element based on: filtering out from transactions stored in the database data changes and schema changes in the temporal history that are factually valid at times later than a beginning of the period of time to select a plurality of transaction time later than the beginning of the period; ordering of the plurality of transactions stored in the temporal relational database to create linear ordered pan temporal timelines; and including data changes and schema changes in the temporal history that are simultaneously factually valid at times earlier than or concurrent with the beginning of the period of time based on an intersection in valid time of the linear ordered pan temporal timelines at an end of the period of time; extract data responsive to the query and the period of time from the reconstituted temporal relational database; and send the extracted data in response to the query.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the beginning of the period to time is earlier than, concurrent with, or later than a time of the query.
20. The system of claim 18 wherein the end of the period of time is earlier than, concurrent with, or later than a time of the query.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 2, 2008
November 4, 2014
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